Aden (South24)

Yemeni Foreign Minister Shayea Al-Zindani met today with Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), to discuss the security situation in the Red Sea amid ongoing Houthi attacks on commercial vessels

According to a statement from the Yemeni Foreign Ministry, the meeting is part of the IMO Secretary-General’s official two-day visit to Yemen, and marks Dominguez's first official visit to Aden.

“The two sides discussed ways to enhance the capabilities of the agencies concerned with maritime security and safety in Yemen, and to raise the efficiency of the Coast Guard to confront the escalating challenges,” the statement said.

The two officials also discussed ways to protect Yemen's marine environment from recent environmental risks linked to Houthi threats in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Yesterday, the military spokesperson for the Houthis, Yahya Sarea, announced that they had carried out three attacks on ships in the region. 

بيان القوات المسلحة اليمنية بشأن تنفيذ عملية عسكرية نوعية استهدفت منطقة عسقلان جنوبي فلسطين المحتلة بعدد من الطائرات المسيرة. pic.twitter.com/BnRlGyosZx

— العميد يحيى سريع (@army21ye) October 29, 2024

In his statement, Sarea reported that the group had targeted the ship ‘SC MONTREAL’ in the southern Arabian Sea with two drones, ‘MAERSK KOWLOON’ in the Arabian Sea with a cruise missile, and ‘MOTARO’ in the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandab with ballistic missiles.

Additionally, earlier today, the Houthi group claimed a drone attack on the industrial area in Ashkelon, Israel. According to Sarea, the attack used several drones which successfully reached their targets. 

Since October 2023, the Iraninan-backed Houthis have escalated naval attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Gulf of Aden, Bab Al-Mandab Strait, and Red Sea, citing the ongoing Gaza conflict as justification.

The Houthis have demanded an end to the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon as a condition for halting their maritime operations. However, Yemen’s internationally recognized government questions the Houthis' motives and their connection to Gaza.

On October 17, Houthi leader Abdulmalik Al-Houthi claimed his group had targeted 196 ships across various waters.